proper nounˌmɑːkəʊ ˈpəʊləʊˌmärkō ˈpōlō
(c.1254–c.1324), Italian traveller. With his father and uncle he travelled to China and the court of Kublai Khan via central Asia (1271–5). He eventually returned home (1292–5) via Sumatra, India, and Persia.
noun ˌmɑːkəʊ ˈpəʊləʊˌmärkō ˈpōlō
mass nounUS A game of tag played in a swimming pool, lake, etc., in which one player, with their eyes shut or blindfolded, must attempt to locate and catch the other players by shouting ‘Marco’ and listening for their response of ‘Polo’
they play Marco Polo in the backyard pool
Example sentencesExamples
- The game of Marco Polo, like a lot of childhood games, is both about finding a home and about catching prey.
- It has a waterproof design, which means it can repel everything from your stinky sweat to a good game of Marco Polo.
- Those 12-year-olds were playing one mean game of Marco Polo.
- From Marco Polo to Sharks and Minnows, these are the 10 tested, tried & true pool games we all played as kids.
- I noticed the following sign displayed prominently on its fence: "No Marco Polo allowed in this pool."
Origin
1960s: from Marco Polo1 (the reason is unclear).